


The Following Days

by kotaka_kun



Series: indulgence AU [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Domestic Bliss, Drabble Collection, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hugs, Living Together, M/M, Modern AU, Movie Night
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:54:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25174216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kotaka_kun/pseuds/kotaka_kun
Summary: a set of drabbles that take place after Simple Happiness where Zuko and Sokka allow themselves to indulge
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: indulgence AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1823707
Comments: 26
Kudos: 232





	1. the best place in the world is inside a hug

**Author's Note:**

> based off of a reddit post or smth i think...? it made me immediately think of zuko bc he absolutely would flip this whole asking-for-things on sokka in a heartbeat 

Sokka wasn’t quite as subtle as he seemed to think, or at least, not when it came to his emotions. He wore his heart on his sleeve, and it was an endearing quality that Zuko treasured. When he was in a good mood, there was no hiding his smile, or the soft melodies he’d hum, or the happiness in his voice.    
And so on the days that Sokka was quieter than usual, shoulders hunched as he nibbled on his bottom lip absentmindedly, Zuko took it as a cue to cheer him up in what small ways he could. 

“Sokka,” Zuko’s voice came from the doorway, sounding small and hesitant, and Sokka turned from his desk where he was working. Zuko was peering around the doorframe, his posture hinting at what it was that he’d come to Sokka for. “Are you busy?” 

“Nope.” he lied easily, closing his laptop without even looking back at it. He’d had just about enough of staring frustratedly at his work that wasn’t progressing in the least, and if anything, Zuko had come at just the right time -- Sokka was probably two seconds away from pulling all his hair out and flopping onto the floor for a tantrum. “What’s up?” 

“Can I...” Zuko paused, “Can I have a hug?” he asked. 

“Always.” Sokka made grabby hands at him, and Zuko smiled as he made his way over and settled onto Sokka’s lap. Giving a content sigh, Sokka wrapped his arms around him and held him close. 

* * *

Sokka had come to the conclusion that Zuko couldn’t lie to save his life. He was earnest and sure, and despite everything, was genuine to a fault. He was open and honest with Sokka, and it was an honor to have his trust so fully and completely. Which is why Zuko’s sudden confession one night came as such a surprise. 

The way Zuko quickly straightened and looked at him made Sokka mirror him immediately.    
“What?” he asked. 

“I just thought of a lie I tell you sometimes,” Zuko said, and Sokka twitched. They’d been talking over dinner about the concept of truth and it was supposed to be a discussion of theory and nothing more, but clearly Zuko had taken something about it to heart. 

“What do you mean?” Sokka asked as gently as he could. From Zuko’s still relaxed posture, he clearly wasn’t nervous, so Sokka figured there was no need for him to be either. While Zuko mulled his next words over, Sokka did his best to telegraph his own willingness to listen and accept what Zuko wanted to say. 

“Sometimes I tell you that I need a hug,” Zuko said eventually, “When really I think that you’re the one that needs a hug.” 

Sokka wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting Zuko to say, but it certainly hadn’t been that. 

He blinked. 

Zuko blinked back. 

And then Sokka wailed as he got up to clamber onto Zuko, and Zuko laughed at him while pulling Sokka into a hug. 


	2. true colors

Sokka liked to heckle Zuko for never having watched movies that were widely considered childhood classics, and Zuko found it more amusing than anything else when Sokka would show his flair for the dramatic by resting the back of his hand on his forehead, the universal gesture for feeling faint, and decry the atrocity that was not watching Toy Story or Lilo and Stitch or Mulan or whatever other film was the topic at hand. 

It had been a running joke between them for a while until one night, a tipsy Sokka had gotten the bright idea to start having movie nights so that Zuko could watch the movies of his childhood with him. There was a rather extensive list of movies that Zuko had to catch up on, so they made it their weekly date night -- they would cook dinner together, have some wine, and then pick a movie to watch. 

Tonight, they'd settled on Trolls. Not necessarily a classic, but one that Sokka still insisted Zuko watch.

For all intents and purposes, Poppy was kind of irritating, Zuko thought. He wasn’t much for the overly cheery, only-look-on-the-bright-side types to begin with, and everything about her and her friends just rubbed him the wrong way. It seemed like Branch was the only character with any semblance of common sense. He was realistic and prepared for the predictably inevitable attack from the bergens, and even when his vigilance was used as nothing more than comic relief, it satisfied Zuko to see someone unafraid to reel Poppy back in from her unreasonable fantasies of a utopia from time to time. 

It was an enjoyable enough movie, even if it was terribly predictable. Sokka sang along to the movie at every opportunity, and Zuko couldn't even pretend to be irritated. His obnoxious singing had long since grown on him, and Zuko was powerless to stop him anyway. 

Though, Zuko had to admit that it was disheartening to see all of Poppy's whole rescue operation go to ruin because of a mere betrayal, and while Zuko had been rooting for Branch and his realistic world views, he found himself wishing that Branch being proven right hadn't come at such a cost to the trolls. 

When Poppy began to lose her color, Zuko went completely still. 

There was something heart-wrenchingly painful about the naivete and innocence of an eternal optimist being broken so viciously, and though he knew that not all hope was lost -- they still had Bridget, after all -- it was a sobering moment. 

And then Branch had started singing to Poppy, his words soft and encouraging, followed by a heartfelt confession of love. 

When Branch began to regain his color alongside Poppy, Zuko abruptly felt his throat grow tight with emotion. It was silly, he’d seen it coming, he’d expected it to happen. And yet, he couldn’t shake the feeling of immense gratitude and love that was welling up in his chest as he thought of how loving Sokka felt exactly like that -- being filled up with warmth and sunshine and brightness that he’d once thought he’d lost entirely. 

Before he knew it, tears were rolling down his cheeks and then Sokka was holding his face, asking what was wrong, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to explain this all, not now, and maybe not ever. 

“You’re my Poppy.” he croaked, and though Sokka didn’t seem to fully grasp the gravity of Zuko’s meaning behind it, he smiled nonetheless, and gave him a kiss on the forehead. 


End file.
